Just Like You
by Kylie Dilston
Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury some TCOR spoilers. Complete!
1. Lucky Shot

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it. If I did I would probably be rich enough that I wouldn't _need_ to write fanfiction in order to keep myself happy…

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings: slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Note: Okay here's the thing – I liked the idea of everything Jack went through after she and Riddick split up (and besides, she might never have become Kyra if it all hadn't happened), so I didn't want to lose that aspect of the story. What I did want to lose was anything that had to do with the Necromongers. (Because, like a lot of people, I'm still in major denial about what happens to Kyra at the end of the movie) So in order to keep the back-story, I decided to make the beginning somewhat similar to TCOR. But rest assured once I get past all that, the more _original_ storyline picks up. Bear with me, all reminders of the movie will be over after a few chapters, I promise! As always, please R&R – I live on feedback!

Oh and I apologize if chapter one seems a little short – I'll be trying to make them longer from here on out. Chapter two should be up sometime within the next day or so…

**Chapter One**: Lucky Shot

Lucky shot.

Lucky goddamn shot.

Riddick grabbed his side, but kept up the quick pace of his run. The bullet was in and out, but the pain was still immense. He focused on the path ahead of him. There would be time for pain later, not right now.

Six years he'd been on this popsicle of a planet. Six years since he'd sentenced himself to this frigid exile. An exile intended to protect not his own ass, but a _kid _of all things.

You would think he'd be happy to see another person after so long a time. And he might have, if that other person hadn't been a merc.

"RIDDICK!" Toombs' voice echoed off the icy walls of the crevice through which they ran. He'd be damned if the bastard was gonna' slip through his hands now after six years of searching. He turned another corner and slid to a stop. Dead end.

"You made three mistakes," Riddick's voice boomed, seeming to come from all directions at once.

Toombs turned around. Nothing. Riddick had vanished.

"First," he growled. "You took the job."

His gaze turned skyward, snowflakes pelting his eyes as he searched for a crack in the ice where Riddick might be hiding.

"Second," he continued. "You came light. A four man crew for _me_? Fuckin' insulting."

The merc muttered under his breath. "Show yourself you fucking pansy."

"But the worst mistake you made…."

Toombs spun around, only to find himself face to face with his mark. Riddick easily knocked the gauge out of his hand, sending the gun sliding across the ice. On instinct, he reached for his holster.

"That's right," Riddick grinned, an action nearly hidden by the thick beard covering his face. He raised a different gun, taking aim for the merc's chest. "You let me get close enough to ya' to lift your other piece."

Taking a step back, Toombs raised his hands.

"What's the bounty on my head?" Riddick demanded.

"One mil."

"Guess I'm really movin' up in the 'verse," Riddick raised the gun another notch, this time aiming towards Toombs' head.

"Wait!" Toombs protested.

"For what?"

"You let me live, I'll tell you where your friend is…"

"Friend?" Riddick quirked a smile. "_Definitely_ got the wrong guy."

"No, no," he continued in a rush. "The kid… the girl you were with when I first saw you on that merc ship. I know where she is."

The smile faded and his face hardened, the gauge never moved. "I'm listening."

"Maxis Seven," he said. "I collared her on Maxis Seven. Sold her to a triple max for a pretty penny."

A triple-max prison? Just what the hell had Jack gotten herself into while he was gone?

"What slam?"

When Toombs hesitated, Riddick closed the distance between the end of the barrel and the other man's forehead. "_What slam!"_

"Crematoria…" he bit off, taking a step backward.

Riddick was quiet a moment. "It's your lucky day, Toombs. You just caught yourself a killer."


	2. Rattle the cage

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR or the song…

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings: slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Note: The lyrics that are spread throughout the chapter are from _Hard to Know_ by Mindy Smith. A great song that somehow seemed to fit Kyra's

situation too well for me to leave it out. I'm wrapping up chapter three, so it should be up soon!

**Chapter Two**: Rattle the Cage

"_Maybe you should rattle the cage…"_

Kyra grabbed hold of a nearby rope and swung down to a lower level, alighting gracefully upon the landing.

It had been nearly six years since she'd gone off after Riddick, determined to find him.

Five and a half since she joined up with a bunch of merc's. They found him before, maybe they could do it again. When they turned around and sold her to the highest bidder, a man named Jonas Kyte stole what was left of her innocence. And where was her savior then?

On that day, Jack died and Kyra was born.

Six years.

Four and a half since she killed the bastard and seven of his men, simultaneously freeing herself and becoming a fugitive. A life on the run. She really was becoming just like him.

Six years.

Two since she was captured by a merc named Toombs and sent to Crematoria…

Six years.

In that time, she'd been a merc, a slave, a murderer, a fugitive…

But it was only today that she lost hope.

She was celebrating an anniversary. Two whole years in this sweaty dump. Two years since she'd seen sunlight and stars instead of these halogen lamps.

"…_And you should have seen the ride I was takin' straight to hell,_

_Handin_' _my soul to the likes of the devil…"_

She stalked towards her cell, ignoring the cat calls coming from two of the new additions. She let it slide. They'd find out soon enough that you don't fuck with her and expect to have your balls still attached come sun up.

It was the Kyte experience that had cemented her new attitude. Her new outlook.

She had been stupid. She handed herself over to evil men, and those evil men had sold her to a far worse evil. She was raped, she was beaten, she was tortured. And she had been forced to become the creature she was today.

A warrior, a thief, a killer…

Kyte hadn't been her first kill.

If she closed her eyes, she could still see herself standing there on that merc ship, pulling that trigger without so much as a grunt from her conscience.

Riddick was in danger. She had to defend him.

And so she did. One shot, and the bitch went down.

It was strange to feel so detached. She had always thought that taking someone's life was a big deal, that it would create all sorts of conflict on the guilty party. And yet… and yet she felt nothing. No remorse, no doubt.

Just conviction.

"_Awfully uncivilized thing you just did there, Jack."_

Riddick had sounded concerned, but not entirely surprised. In the end, like recognizes like.

He had probably always known that she'd become like him in the end. But he cut out on her anyway, just when she needed him the most.

She knew well the golden rule of Riddick. If you can't keep up, you get left behind. And she knew at the time she was too weak to keep up. How was a skinny, underdeveloped thirteen year old supposed to keep up with a guy like him?

Wasn't possible.

"…_Sometimes it's hard to know that you need to be saved,_

_Until you hit the bottom and rattle that cage…"_

But she tried to keep up anyway. She tried, because at the time he was all she had. No parents, no family, no friends. She had been alone in this wide universe until she met him.

She was still just a kid. A kid who needed protection. Who needed something like family. And to her, Riddick was the answer – he would keep her safe no matter what. He'd proven that over and over again.

She snorted at the thought, slamming the gate to her cell closed and attaching a makeshift lock to keep out any unwanted visitors while she slept. Recently the guards had stopped locking down at night, figuring the _dogs_ were enough to keep the inmates behaving themselves.

All that time, and she never gave up hope. Hope that maybe one day he'd come for her.

A hope that died today, taking along with it another piece of the person she once was. Another piece of Jack.

"…_I really didn't care 'cause I was tryin' to hurt myself,_

_A sticky situation and I'm still tryin' to work it out,_

_And I didn't want to know that I was the one to blame,_

_Pointing my finger tryin' to push all the blame away…"_

For so long she had blamed Riddick for what had happened to her, thinking that if he'd have just stuck around none of this would have happened. That it was his fault she'd suffered through all these torments.

But today she realized something.

She'd brought it all on herself.

It was a chain reaction that began when she made the stupid decision to go after him in the first place. Riddick. A man who had _now _proven that he wasn't such a grand hero after all. He would never be her knight in shining armor. He just wasn't wired that way.

"_Never had a doubt!"_

"_Anyone not ready for this?"_

As she lay down on the sorry excuse she called a bed, she gazed up at the low ceiling and thought back to that dark planet. Oh she'd had her doubts alright. And she definitely was not ready for the six years of hell that would follow.

She moved a sliver of glass around in her mouth, tapping it against the back of her teeth.

She had to get out of here.


	3. The name is Toombs

Disclaimer: Don't own it…

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings:slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Note: I know I promised to try and make these chapters longer, but I haven't quite figured out how yet. So instead I'm compromising and making them a _little_ bit longer, but being much more frequent than usual with my updates. Thanks for the reviews so far! Oh and Joani – A lot of those lines at the start of the chapter were directly from the movie. And I think I took that "insulting" line from that too, but I can't remember for certain if he says it or not… so that's probably why it sounded so much like something he would say. Wish I _could_ take credit for it all though, they're some great lines – thanks again for the feedback! )

Chapter Three: "The name is Toombs"

"So how'd you find me anyway, merc?" Riddick asked as he set up Toombs' cryo link. A sharp pain was pulsating through the wound on his side and he worked to ignore it. Once he knew the merc was in cryo-stasis, he'd deal with it, but this came first.

"The name is Toombs," he said, wincing as Riddick tightened a restraint around his wrist. "And you can thank your girl for that."

Riddick didn't respond, instead he gruffly inserted a needle into Toombs' arm.

"Saw her again on Helion Prime a few years after I first met your bald ass– " he cut himself off as he took in Riddick's cave man like appearance. "Well, your once-bald ass, anyhow. Did a little research, found out she was wanted for murder. So I tracked her for almost another year until I finally cornered her on Maxis Seven."

It took Toombs a year to catch her?

Something akin to pride stirred within Riddick and he couldn't hide his smile. "A whole year for a scrawny little girl, Toombs?"

"Scrawny, my ass," Toombs mumbled, turning his head to the side and staring at the floor of the ship. The motion called Riddick's attention to a scar near his right eye.

"She give you the makeover?" he asked.

Toombs' expression turned sour. "Bitch sliced me with a shiv and then kicked embers from her campfire onto the wound. Couldn't see out of that eye for a month."

"What does all this have to do with how you found me?"

The merc shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "When she saw me look up your file on the system, she mentioned she was lookin' for you too. Had been for a few years. So I figger' if _she_ couldn't find you, then you were probably in a place where you didn't _want_ to be found.

"Figger'ed you'd probably be on some shithole of a planet nobody'd think to go to. Not too many planets like that in the known 'verse. Not that are inhabitable, anyhow. UV was the third world I checked."

Riddick flipped a switch and the air filled with a slow humming sound. The small twin containers nearby changed from the dark red of Toomb's blood to the cloudy blue of the cryo solution.

As Toombs' eyelids grew heavy, Riddick gave a final tug at his restraints to make certain they were secure. "Nighty-night, merc."

He opened his mouth to mutter a curse, but the words died unspoken on his lips as he slipped into the inky blackness of cryosleep.

Riddick stood slowly, lightheaded from the loss of so much blood. As he searched the cramped cabin for the med-lock, he thought over these strange turn of events.

Timple-max prison. Crematoria. A high price on her head.

He'd always assumed that it was his being around people that caused bad things to happen to them. He'd never considered that being _apart_ from them might be just as problematic.

As he took what he needed from the med-lock, another spike of pain ripped through his side, carrying with it a surge of anger. He'd told her to stay on Helion Prime with the holy man. Made her _promise_ to keep out of trouble and not go looking for him.

Should have known she wouldn't listen.

Now here he was, kidnapping a merc and sending _himself_ to prison. He'd get her out, set her straight and be done with it. Done with her. Done with people.

Done for good.


	4. That'll Be the Day

Disclaimer: Don't own it…

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings:slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Note: Ah, the joys of being at home from college for the summer. The inspiration for this chapter's title came from the fact that the entire time I was writing this section, my parents were downstairs watching an old John Wayne flick called _The Searchers_. And for some strange reason, the only line I could hear clearly was John Wayne saying the phrase, "That'll be the day" over and over and over again. Having never seen the film, I have no idea why he felt compelled to say the same line so many times throughout the course of one movie, but it worked its way into my story anyways…. sigh So here you go, the fourth installment of _Just Like You_… hope you enjoy it! And to everyone who's been reviewing – a big, BIG thank you! Not only has my ego swelled to a completely unhealthy size, but it's been just what I've needed to keep me writing. Feel free to provide constructive criticism as well – I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing and I appreciate honesty. ;-)

**Chapter Four:** That'll Be the Day

"Hey, ugly."

Riddick opened his eyes, the merc's voice cutting through the last patches of fog left in his mind from the cryo.

"Ugly," he said again. "You wanna' wake your burly ass up and take the controls? I'd rather not get a sunburn on entry, thanks."

He let out a low growl, but unhooked himself from the cryo link up and spun his chair around to grab the controls. Before him loomed the quickly expanding image of Crematoria, in all it's hellish glory.

"So what's the plan, baldy?" Toombs asked, having noticed that while he slept Riddick had shaved off the beard and dreads and was now wearing an extra pair of clothes that he'd found in the locker next to the med-lock. Cargo pants and a black tank top. Did the guy _ever_ change his style?

Riddick punched in a few commands and took hold of the control stick, steering the small ship towards the border between night and day on the surface of the planet.

"You take me in like I'm your prisoner, sell me, take your UDs and get the fuck outta' here," he adjusted the inclination and accelerated, pushing the two men back in their seats.

"You serious?" Toombs shouted over the roar of hot air that pushed against the ship as it entered the atmosphere.

" 'fraid so."

"_Rate of decent, good," _The computer chimed in.

"Then why the chains for the trip here?"

"What, leave you loose and give you a chance to take me to a slam that might pay more? Don't think so," he adjusted the inclination again.

"_Rate of decent, not good..."_

"Never seen a mark so willing to get sent back to slam before," Toombs said, fighting against the force pushing him back in his chair. "You got a thing for this girl, or what?"

Riddick didn't bother answering. Instead he fastened his seatbelt and hit the button on the dash marked _Party Poppers_. The ship jolted to a stop as it entered a small hangar carved into the side of a mountain, slinging it's occupants forward against their restraints.

Now came the part Riddick was dreading. Turning control over to Toombs.

He'd timed their arrival so that Toombs would have to wait at least another eight hours before the next sunset, when it would be safe to leave the planet. Hopefully that would be enough incentive for him not to pull anything stupid, like trying to leave without dropping him here and opting for another, better paying slam.

If not, he'd have a problem on his hands.

He stood up, crossed to the back of the cabin and undid the other man's restraints.

Toombs smiled. This was too easy. "You'll never make it out again, you know."

Riddick smirked and adjusted his goggles. "That's what you think."

As Toombs got to his feet, Riddick held up his hands, wrists together, in the pose of a man waiting to be cuffed.

"Well?"

x x x x x x x

Kyra sat up in her bed, eyes narrowed and glaring through the bars of her cell towards the center of the slam.

Something was off.

She'd learned long ago to trust her instincts and it had kept her from getting killed on more than one occasion. And at the moment, her gut was telling her that something wasn't right. Today wasn't just an ordinary day. Something big was on the horizon, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

Jumping up, she snatched the shiv from beneath the blanket that served as her pillow and strode towards the gate of her cell. Tossing the lock to the side, she slid it open and walked out onto the terrace.

"G'mornin', beautiful," a man said, his voice branded with an accent that might have passed for Australian back on Earth.

Kyra turned to glare at a tall man with short, dirty blond hair and boyish features that belied his age. "What do you want, Merrick?"

He snorted, but the smile didn't leave his face. "Well _someone_ certainly woke up on the wrong side of the bars this morning. Tell me, do you treat _all_ of your friends this way?"

"Friends?" now it was her turn to snort. "Gimme a break."

"Ouch," he said, clutching his chest as if the words had struck his heart. "I'm hurt, beautiful. Really, I am."

"Give it a rest, Merrick and just tell me what you want."

"Shiv drawn so early in the mornin'?" he said, nodding towards the knife in her hand. "You really did wake up looking for a fight, didn't you?"

She turned around and started to walk away. Merrick wasn't such a bad guy, but she was starting to realize why Riddick was such a loner. Friends were liabilities. And she didn't want that hanging over her head.

A knife somewhere in her heart took another quarter turn. Liability. That's probably all Riddick saw her as. All he had ever seen her as.

Just another loose end.

She reached for one of the many ropes hanging from the decks above, then climbed up onto the rail, balancing there without the slightest hint of effort.

"Wait a second," he said. "Thought I should warn you…"

Kyra turned to face him, her expression impassive.

"Last weeks new additions have an eye out for you," he sauntered closer.

"I can take care of myself, thanks."

"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid," he said, genuine concern on his face. The concern was quickly replaced by a lopsided grin. "I don't want to have to bail you out again."

With a sarcastic laugh she leapt off the railing and sailed down to the ground floor. "That'll be the day."


	5. Cheap Shots

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings: slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Note: Okay, I've taken a few liberties this time around with the set up of the slam and how the guards do business – nothing too big, I don't think, but I couldn't remember enough details from the movie to get it perfect… so I fudged a few things. Hopefully it's nothing too glaring, but if you see something majorly wrong let me know and I'll work on fixing it if I can. Also I apologize if this feels a bit choppy in places – there were so many things going on at once that the only way I could write it out the same way it was playing out in my mind was to jump back and forth between scenes. Thanks again for all the feedback!

**Chapter Five:** Cheap Shots

"So what'll it be, gents?" Toombs clapped his hands together. "One mil, or one point two?"

A Russian guard by the name of Mikael, set down a handheld vid screen displaying Riddick's stats and sordid convictions. He glanced back and forth between the lanky form of Toombs and the bound prisoner, scratching thoughtfully at the two days worth of stubble adorning his chin.

"Five hundred," he countered.

As if on cue, a portly guard who stood behind Riddick, chains in hand, grabbed the prisoner roughly by the shoulder and guided him towards the center of the room. When he moved to attach the chains to his wrists, Toombs held up a hand.

"Hold up there, tubby," he interjected, ignoring the negotiations for a moment. "Lowering him in by his wrists is too good for this jackass."

Riddick shifted his mercurial gaze towards the merc, a motion concealed by his dark goggles. What was Toombs up to?

"Tie the bastard up by his ankles with this," Toombs removed a length of rope that he'd worn slung over his shoulder since they left the ship and tossed it to the large man.

It was then that Riddick understood the action, if not the motive behind it.

The merc was actually helping him.

He turned towards Riddick with a wink, "Consider it payback for that cheap shot earlier, sweetheart."

The guard looked to Mikael, who nodded his head in approval. "Do it, Uri."

He laughed and obliged, feeling slight pity for the man he was about to lower into the slam. New additions always took a beating until they were let loose or freed themselves from their restraints. This poor bastard would never be able to defend himself upside down.

The guard nodded to Toombs. "You're a sick man, no?"

The merc only chuckled. "So what do you say to nine hundred?"

x x x x x x x

"Well, well, well," came a voice from behind her. "Look what we have here, Jonesy."

Kyra spun around, threw the owner of the voice against a wall, and had a shiv pressed to his adam's apple before he could find the time to react.

"A saucy minx, aren't you?" he said carefully. His friend stepped out from the camouflage of a nearby shadow, approaching slowly.

"Marcus," Jonesy said, warning in his tone.

"Another step and your friend here gets a new hole to breathe out of."

He held up his hands in surrender and came to a stop, a smirk planted firmly upon his face.

He took another step. She cut the other man's throat.

Just a nick this time, nothing fatal, but Marcus grabbed at his throat and staggered to the side, just out of her grasp.

Jonesy arched a brow, slightly surprised. "A girl that's not afraid to play with knives. I like that in a woman."

"She fuckin' sliced me man!" Marcus said, ripping a piece of his sleeve so he'd have something to press against the wound. "You're gonna pay for that one, you bitch."

"A warning," she said, sending a glare in his direction. "Next time, I'll finish the job."

She turned to walk away, and Marcus launched himself at her.

x x x x x x x

Merrick climbed down to ground level, all the while envying Kyra's agility. Sliding down six levels in as many seconds sure beat taking two minutes to climb down a rickety ladder.

Somewhere up above a machine whirred to life, creating a circular opening in the floor of the control tower.

"Ahh," he said, craning his neck and watching as a man was lowered through the gap. "Fresh fish."

He glanced around. Other convicts had noticed the new arrival as well and were lining the terraces to get a better look, beginning a steady pounding against the railings.

"Upside down?" he muttered to himself, then started walking off in the direction Kyra had vanished. "Won't want to be him in about five minutes."

x x x x x x x

Riddick took in his new surroundings as he was lowered down into the bowels of the slam.

Quaint.

He'd definitely been in worse.

Trying to ignore the rush of blood that was making its way through his head, he pulled himself upward and reached his rope bound wrists in the direction of his boots.

Missed.

He growled and tried again, this time his fingertips grabbed hold of something cool and slick. Pulling the shiv from his boot he easily cut off his bindings, leaving only his feet tied to the rope that continued lowering him at a steady clip. Had they used chains, he would have been forced to find another way to release himself. Not impossible, just more time consuming.

_Screech_.

The ancient machinery ground to a halt, stopping the decent and causing him to sway from side to side like a pendulum.

Still too high to cut the rope and be able to stick the landing, he had no choice but to wait.

He sighed. "Just take the money, Toombs."

x x x x x x x

"What do you _mean_ seven-fifty?" Toombs said, lowering a fist to the table and leaning forward in what he hoped was a menacing fashion. "The behemoth is worth nine hundred at _least_."

Mikael shrugged. "We just paid for two new cons last week. Not enough money in the budget to pay more than seven-fifty, so take it or leave it."

Toombs mumbled something under his breath which vaguely resembled the phrase, "Fuckin' Russians."

"Alright," he conceded. "Seven-fifty it is."

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Toombs," he said, gesturing for one of the guards to step forward. "Alexai here will show you to a room where you can rest for a few hours before departing. Oh and Alexai?"

"Yeah, boss?"

"Tell Vladimir the dogs could use some exercise, will you?"

"Sure thing, boss."

x x x x x x x

The machine once again whirred to life and Riddick continued the slow decent.

Somewhere, an alarm started ringing, barely audible over the steady pounding of tin cups on metal railings.

Barely heard, but it was loud enough.

Within moments, the men who'd been lining the aisles disappeared from sight. Riddick quirked a brow in amusement. This ought to be interesting.

x x x x x x x

Marcus slammed full force into Kyra's back, knocking her to the ground and sending the shiv flying from her hand.

The breath knocked out of her, she struggled to regain her senses and rolled onto her back.

Before she could reach for the fallen shiv, Marcus had straddled her and placed his own blade at her throat.

He sneered. "Not so tough when the tables get turned are ya', baby?"

"I'm not your baby," Kyra snarled.

"Shut up!" Marcus barked, using his free hand to slap her across the face.

As she struggled to get her arms free, she began raising her leg in the hopes of grabbing him by the neck and rolling him backwards. An attempt that was stifled by Jonesy as he stepped down hard on her ankle before it had lifted more than a couple inches. There was a sickening crack and she bit down hard on her lip, swallowing the pain as best she could.

"You two really enjoy taking cheap shots, don't you?" she spat, continuing to squirm under Marcus' weight. "Real 'kick 'em when they're down', kind of guys."

A shadow fell over the three, and both Jonesy and Marcus turned to identify the source.

"Let. Her. Go," a rumbling voice demanded.

When they didn't respond, the man stepped closer, a sliver of light separating his face from the shadow and shining a rather menacing reflection off of the machete in his hand.

Merrick continued to walk closer and the two men exchanged something of a panicked look.

"Alright, man. Alright," Marcus said, climbing off of Kyra and taking a step back. He held up his hands in a placating gesture of surrender. "We were just having a bit of fun, that's all."

"Beat it, pukes," he ordered in a low voice. As an alarm began to echo through the corridor, the two men turned and hurried off.

Merrick watched them go with an amused expression on his face. He looked down at Kyra, who was still sprawled out on the floor staring angrily at the ceiling. She looked pissed.

His face appeared hovering before her line of sight, his trademark grin firmly in place. "And what might _this_ be, doll? It couldn't be… No… It could never be _the day, _could it? The same one you swore would never happen?"

"Shut up and give me a hand, would ya'?" she snapped as she struggled to sit up. He offered her his hand and she climbed to her feet. When she tried putting weight on the ankle Jonesy had crushed, she let out a growl of annoyance.

"Dammit!"

"Can you walk?"

"Not really," she said, trying to walk as best she could.

Merrick thought for a moment, glancing up and down the corridor as the alarm droned on.

"We'll have company here soon," he said. "I know you'll be fine, but I've got to get out of sight."

"Just go," she said, leaning against the wall for support. "I'll find you when it's over."

x x x x x x x

Riddick sliced the ropes binding his ankles and flipped lithely to the ground below.

As he removed the last of his restraints, a low rumble cut through the sound of the siren. This time, it wasn't Riddick doing the growling.

He turned to face a large dog. Or what might once have been a dog, before numerous genetic recombinations. The overgrown beast was only a few feet away and closing, but Riddick wasn't all that concerned.

He crouched down, staring the animal directly in the eye. For a few moments nothing and no one moved. Finally, the dog whimpered and bowed his head. Walking forward, Riddick rubbed the animal's neck in a soothing manner. The creature licked his hand and then started backing away.

"Only one other person I know who can do that," a voice called from the entrance to the corridor.

As the beast turned around and started back for its cage, Merrick stepped closer. "You're him aren't you?"

Riddick only looked at him.

"You're Kyra's Riddick."


	6. Who's Kyra?

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings:slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Notes: This chapter's a lot shorter than the others – but I got to the end, and it was just _screaming_ for a chapter break. And far be it from me to tick off my muse… Anyway, to answer a few reviews:

Mutant-Gorilla – Loved the fic so far, hope you continue it! And also, AU stands for Alternate Universe, we use it to describe a detour from the original "Universe" created around a fandom. In this case, I took a 'detour' after Dark Fury and ignored most of what happened in the new movie, creating my own 'Alternate' Universe….

K-Nice – I'm not entirely sure what you were asking, but I realized after reading your review that a lot of people might not have heard the term "wifebeater" before. It's basically another name for a guys tank top, and I'm used to hearing it so I wrote it in without thinking about how other people might read the term. I've changed the phrase back to 'tank top' so hopefully it will be less confusing. Thanks for bringing it up! ….

Kae – To be honest, I have _no_ idea how I've managed to keep up the pace of two chapters a day. Most times I write a little more than a chapter and writers block sets in. For some reason that hasn't happened yet, so as long as I can keep the ideas flowing hopefully the updates will keep coming… )

To everyone else, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

**Chapter Six:** Who's Kyra?

"I'm Riddick," he dusted off his hands and ambled closer. "Who's Kyra?"

Merrick gave him a funny look as Kyra sidled up next to him.

"Jack," said Riddick, his tone stolid.

"Jack?" Merrick queried, casting a sidelong glance at the woman next to him.

"Jack," repeated Kyra, flicking a curly strand of hair behind her ear. "Is dead. The name's Kyra now."

Sensing the mounting tension and the funny waver in Kyra's voice, Merrick made a wise decision. He left the two of them behind and wandered off towards the mess hall.

The sirens finally cut off, leaving the large room silent, but for the sound of their breathing. Unable to hold his gaze, Kyra turned and hobbled (with as much dignity as she could muster) towards a nearby rope. Grabbing hold, she began pulling herself up it, hand over hand.

"You're hurt," he observed, moving to stand at the bottom of the rope.

"So I've noticed," she grunted between pulls.

"It's recent."

She gave a harsh sounding laugh as she continued her climb. "You don't miss much, do you?" she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

He started up the rope after her.

"Who's Kyra?" he asked again.

"What are you doin' here, Riddick? You slip up? Get caught?" she wheezed, sweat dripping down the side of her face. "Or were you just in the mood for a steamy vacation?"

Riddick craned his neck and narrowed his eyes at her, as if the answer should have been obvious. "I came to get you out, Jack."

"My hero," she bit off. "If you wanted to save me, you're a little late, Riddick," she reached up to grab hold of the rope again, but missed. The muscles in her other arm, already worn-out from the thirty foot climb, finally gave under her full weight and she started to fall. She reached wildly for the rope, but couldn't grasp it in time.

Riddick reached out and grabbed her flailing hand as she began to drop, supporting both himself and Kyra with only one arm.

Struggling, he raised her up enough to take hold of the rope, leaving her to dangle beside him. She grabbed hold and found herself pressed against him, his legs wrapping around hers and providing her with enough extra support to keep her arms from giving out again.

Their faces were only inches apart.

If she looked closely, she could see his eyes shining beneath the goggles. His familiar smell washed over her and for a moment she felt like breaking down. Felt like giving in to the pain and the relief. Felt like turning into a neurotic mess thirty feet above the ground.

She searched for something to say, but came up empty.

What do you say to the man you'd given up on? To the man you'd counted out?

When suddenly, he's here like you always knew he would be.

"You didn't answer me," he said. "Who's Kyra?"

What do you say?

Nothing.

Her face hardened and she reached for a higher handhold, continuing her climb with renewed fervor.


	7. Confessions and Cheap Coffee

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings:slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Notes: For some reason, this chapter was a lot more difficult to finish than the first six… I tried to go back and mop up any parts that felt choppy or out of place, but I'm sure a few spots snuck by me. Hopefully it shouldn't be too bad.

**Chapter Seven:** Confessions and Cheap Coffee

Kyra reached out and grabbed hold of a metal bar protruding from the side of the cement floor, one level above the one she was aiming for. Taking hold of it, she disentangled herself from the rope and swung onto the lower landing, limping off in the direction of her cell.

She cursed the impairment. She'd dreamed of this day for six years. Run through a thousand different scenarios in her mind, picturing every detail.

A broken ankle had never been considered.

For Riddick to see her as weak was _not_ what she wanted right now. She was supposed to be strong, she was supposed to look like she didn't need him anymore.

First the ankle, then the rope. '_Yeah', _she thought to herself_, 'real improvement there, Kyra. You might as well be thirteen again…'_

She put a little too much weight on her ankle and hissed. Damn those two. Couldn't even fight fair.

'_Who's Kyra?' _his words echoed through her mind and she struggled to come up with an answer.

"Kyra," she began, sensing that he had followed her and was now trailing only a few feet behind. "Is survival. She's strong where Jack was weak."

She entered the tiny cell and stopped, leaning against the wall for support and taking the weight off of her quickly swelling ankle. She watched the shadow stretch out beside her as he appeared in the doorway, blocking out the light.

"She's skill where Jack was inexperienced. She's instinct. She's speed. She's control."

Riddick shifted his weight, then took a step closer, causing his shadow to dance across the floor.

"What happened to you, Jack?" he asked quietly.

Kyra slammed her eyes shut as a flood of memories flew unbidden before her minds eye. She didn't want to answer at first. Didn't want to admit just how weak she had been when he first left her.

Her intentions soon slipped to the wayside as her mouth developed a mind of its own, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them.

"After you dropped me on that planet, I tried to make it work," she admitted. "Imam's a good guy, but he didn't understand."

She paused and he waited for her to continue.

"It didn't work out," she said, simply. "So I left. Signed up with a merc crew thinkin' I'd make a few UDs and be able to look for you at the same time."

She snorted. "What a fool I was."

With her back turned, she didn't see the pained look that washed across his face, nor the angry scowl that replaced it.

"Merc's," he whispered, his voice low. "You signed with merc's."

"They slaved me out, Riddick," her voice wavered a little, then turned to gravel. A bitter taste filled her mouth as she felt the bile rising in the back of her throat. She swallowed hard, wishing away the memories. "Do you have any idea what that will do to a fifteen year old?"

Riddick closed his eyes and lowered his head. He didn't like where this story was headed.

"Not for hard labor, though," she said with a self-deprecating laugh. "No, I was too scrawny… Too weak… So instead I served as a slave to an old mans libido for eight months before I finally managed to slit his throat and run."

"You signed with merc's," he said again, as if that explained everything. "What did you expect?"

The words came across more harshly than he intended and he instantly regretted them.

"Yeah, well… they were the only ones around," she said, the hurt showing through despite her efforts to conceal it.

He walked forward and put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"Jack- "

"Kyra," she corrected.

He didn't respond. After watching her for another moment, he turned around and walked out of the cell, leaving her to her thoughts.

x x x x x x x

Toombs picked up the mug of coffee Alexai had brought him and sniffed it warily.

Cautiously taking a sip, the unexpected flavor caused him to spit it right back out again, sending a spray of liquid across the bed he was sitting on.

"Sweet, _Jesus_!" he choked out. "Doesn't _anybody_ know how to make a decent pot of coffee anymore? This stuff tastes like manure."

His words echoed through the empty room and he sighed. Standing up, he made his way over to a system console on the other side of his quarters. He'd seen them scattered throughout the different rooms and had even used them a couple times before during previous trips to make sure the wire transfers went through. Feeling bored, he tapped the screen and a menu containing a list of options appeared.

He continued tapping the screen, scrolling until a label caught his eye.

Quirking a brow, he pressed a blue button titled 'Video Surveillance' and was rewarded with a page full of thumbnail sized video feeds, each showing a different area of the slam.

"Alright, ya' bald bastard," he mumbled to himself, examining the different feeds. "Where'd you get to?"

He scrolled further down on the page, finally coming to a stop when he recognized Riddick's figure. Another tap and the feed was enlarged, taking up the entire screen and giving him a better view.

Riddick was standing at the entrance to a cell, unmoving and casting a shadow that concealed any other occupants. After watching him stand there in the same position for a couple minutes he rolled his eyes. "Watchin' him's like watchin' paint dry," he observed, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you talkin' to, baldy? Why aren't you planning your escape like you ought to be?"

A few seconds later, Riddick turned around and walked away, providing Toombs with a clear view inside the cell. He recognized the occupant and smirked. "Well, well. Looks like prince charming's found his gal."

"What's this?" he said, watching as Kyra slammed a fist into the wall, then turned around and fell back against it, sliding down to the floor. Folding her arms across her knees she buried her head in them.

"Aww, now you've done it," he said, clicking his tongue and making a 'tsk'-ing sound. "Gone and made the poor girl cry."

He was about to close out the feed and find out where it was Riddick had disappeared to, when another man approached the cell. Walking inside, he squatted down next to her. After a minute or two of what looked like her trying to get him to go away, she seemed to relent and he pulled her into an embrace. "Christ, I feel like I'm watchin' a soap opera."

Making a mental note of the guys face and filing the scene into memory, he closed out the feed and began searching for Riddick again.

Contrary to popular opinion, Toombs wasn't stupid.

He knew Riddick's record. And he knew that more than likely the guy _would_ escape, just like he'd promised.

He'd broken out of SlamCity in under twelve hours, Butcher Bay had only taken a few more than that… so odds were that he'd be out of here just as fast, provided the girl didn't slow him down.

Knowing Riddick, he'd choose a time when he knew a merc was dropping off a con, so there'd be at least one ship in the hangar to boost. What better time than right now, in Toombs' ship? He still had seven hours before sundown. Seven hours to find a way out.

Anticipating that, Toombs had orchestrated the whole rope idea. It wasn't much, but it was a gesture.

You see, once the guards found out a con was escaping - the very con they'd just purchased from Toombs… Well, chances were they'd be wanting their money back.

Toombs wasn't about to stick around for that fireworks display. He'd need a ride off this rock just as badly as Riddick. If that meant helping the asshole out in his escape, then so be it. He'd play along.

For now.


	8. Nightingale

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings:slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Notes: Sorry this update took so long… As always, thanks for all the feedback!

**Chapter Eight: **Nightingale

Riddick wandered aimlessly around the slam, attempting to sort out the thoughts and emotions that had so quickly turned his mind into a war-zone.

Another inmate stepped out in front of him, blocking his path. With a growl, he shoved the man out of his way and kept walking. Luckily for the other guy, he decided not to make an issue out of it and let Riddick continue walking without stopping him.

For a man who kept his thoughts and emotions private, he sure had a lot of them.

At the moment, nearly all of them were for _her_.

Anger at her stupid mistakes. Pride at her strength. Hatred towards the merc's who'd slaved her out. Surprise at who and what she had become.

Only one emotion was saved for himself.

Guilt.

After that scene on the merc ship, he thought he was doing the right thing leaving her with Imam and taking off on his own. Thought it was the best way to keep her from becoming any more like him than she already had. He thought it was hero-worship.

He hadn't realized she'd made it her new means of survival.

He mentally kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. Should have realized it the moment she killed someone in order to protect him. She'd crossed a line that day and there was no going back. Had he actually expected her to stay with Imam and lead a normal life after that? After everything she'd been through?

Riddick snorted. Yeah, right.

He turned a corner and slammed into something hard.

Looking up, he recognized the rigid obstacle as the same man he'd seen with Jack when he first arrived.

He glanced down at the bandages and the flat wooden rods in his hands. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Kyra's ankle needs to be taped," Merrick said, matter of factly. "Went to get something to wrap it with."

"A regular Florence Nightingale," Riddick muttered, more angry at himself for not thinking of it first, than at the other man's efforts. "You got a name, Nightingale?"

"Jonathan Merrick."

"Nightingale sounds better. I think we'll stick with that."

Merrick narrowed his eyes and moved to walk around him, but Riddick held out his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "What's your story, Nightingale?"

He sent Riddick an annoyed, but questioning glare. "What do you care?"

"Jack's an old friend," he said. "Lost track of her along the way, now I'm curious to know what kind of company she keeps."

Merrick was quiet a moment. "If you're wondering if I'm out to hurt her the answer is no. I watch her back, she watches mine."

Riddick looked doubtful, but said nothing.

"You know how it works," Merrick continued. "Sometimes in slam you need to make alliances to survive."

He quirked a brow. "Only when you're weak," was all he said.

He lowered his arm and Merrick shook his head, ignoring the comment, then started off in the other direction.

Riddick kept walking. The psycho-analysis could wait. Right now it was time to find a way out of this hole.

x x x x x x x

Toombs' ass was numb.

He shifted in the metal chair for the third time in as many minutes. Time was almost up.

For the past six hours he'd sat there, eyes glued to the vid screen, following Riddick's every move as he wandered around the slam. Watching him take a mental inventory of everything from the number of guards he encountered to signs of any possible exits.

He kept coming back to the same spot over and over. A door through which the guards continuously came and went. It was impossible to access without the retractable ladder being down and that only happened when a guard was using it.

Still. Knowing Riddick, he'd find a way to get up to it. Ladder or no ladder.

That only left the door.

It was only opened through the use of a key card, but that would be easy to swipe from a guard.

Toombs was almost positive that this would be his exit of choice. Now the trick would be to anticipate Riddick's break and be there to help him.

He rubbed the back of his neck, letting his vision blur and giving his eyes a rest.

It was strange having so much faith in another man's abilities. He knew that if Riddick made an attempt to escape he would succeed, just as surely as he knew the sun would be up in another hour.

You would think this knowledge would make what he had to do easier, but Toombs was still anxious. If he went through with it, his life as a merc was over. There was no way he'd be able to get out of this without killing at least one guard. And they'd have it all on tape.

The hunter would, in essence, become the hunted. He'd be the one with a bounty on his head this time.

But if he let Riddick leave without him, the chances were just as good that he'd die at the hands of the guards who wanted their money back.

A catch-22. There was no good outcome.

For now, all he could do was wait.


	9. Now We're Square

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings: slight R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Notes: It took a year, but I've finally been able to give my muse the swift kick in the butt she needed to help me start working on this fic again. To everyone who's written asking for me to continue (and yes, even that one death threat P) I want to say thanks… you guys are what got me going again! For anyone who hasn't read the story in a while, I definitely suggest flipping through it again – it might help you understand this chapter better. One big thing – the biggest block I had in continuing the story involved Merrick…I just couldn't figure out how to keep him in the story without it losing something, so he's out for the count. To everyone who liked the character – my humble apologies and to those of you who didn't – enjoy! As always, please read & review! The feedback is what keeps me going! … Now, on with the story…

**Chapter Nine:** Now we're square.

"Ready to go?"

Kyra tossed the extra bandages to the side, not bothering to turn around. "Go _where_, Riddick?"

"Anywhere."

She was still a moment, then spun around, catching him off guard. In one fluid motion she had knocked him back against the wall, her slender hands holding the bulk of his shoulders firmly in place.

Her ankle screamed in complaint despite the tight wrap that now covered it. "Don't you think if I had wanted to escape I would have gotten _myself_ out by now?"

He exhaled loudly, grabbing her wrists and removing the vice-like grip. "The thought had crossed my mind."

She fought back against his hold.

"Why _are _you still here, Jack?"

Her resistance went slack, arms dropping to her sides. She shrugged, an apathetic expression on her face.

"And go where, Riddick?" she asked again. "After a while, Crematoria was just as comfortable as any other no-named hell hole I might find myself in. I learned the rules fast, moved up the hierarchal ladder… why fuck with a good thing?"

"So you gave up," it was a statement, not a question.

Another second and she had him pinned against the wall once more, her grip on his shoulders doubling in intensity and a desperate rage burning in her eyes. "No!"

He raised a brow, surprised at the sudden fierceness in her tone.

"No," she repeated, this time quietly. "I never gave up. That was your forte, not mine."

She let him loose and then walked as normally as she could manage across the room to her cot, grabbing an extra shiv from beneath the blankets and hooking it in her belt.

"You think I- " he cut himself short. They didn't have time for this right now. If they were going to make a break for it, it had to be soon before Toombs had the chance to leave in that ship.

He stared at her, taking in the toned figure, the hardened eyes, the shiv in her belt. She barely resembled the Jack he once knew.

Barely, but it was enough to rekindle whatever ties to his humanity that remained. He wanted to help Jack, even if she didn't want him to. He had to get her out of here. Had to set things right.

"I leave in five minutes. With or without you."

x x x x x x x

If someone had told Riddick that his life would be saved by a _merc_ someday, he would have suggested, in a rather obscene way, that they have their head examined.

And yet, they would have been right.

Riddick watched as a wisp of steam rose from the bullet wound of the recently deceased guard, then bent down and pulled the gauge from his hand.

He stood. "You losin' it Toombsy? For a second there it looked as if you were doin' me a favor."

Toombs shrugged from his position in the doorway, then turned and walked through. "Just try to keep up, will ya'? I ain't got all day."

The sound of rustling behind him caught Riddick's attention. Kyra reached the foot of the stairs and walked unevenly into the room, still attempting to hide her impairment. She wore a coil of chains over her shoulder and he caught the glimmer of a shiv in her belt and the handle of another hidden in her boot. At least she'd come prepared.

She said nothing to him, merely grabbed a shiv from the guards boot and headed for the doorway.

Riddick followed, but before he reached the hallway beyond, Kyra let out a growl of annoyance.

"Arrrggh… What the hell are you doing here?" she had a hand on her hip and was glaring at Toombs.

"Good to see you too, beautiful," was his less than chipper reply.

"Riddick," Kyra bit off. "You've got the gauge… shoot him."

He stepped through and the hallway began to feel crowded. "Not quite yet."

"But –" she started to object.

"Don't argue with me. Let's go," he ordered.

Much to Riddick's surprise, the group made it to the transport room and then on to the hangar with relative ease, running into only a handful of guards. Then, as they entered the hangar, six guards stood between them and Toombs' ship.

"Six on three," Riddick mumbled. "I like those odds."

Toombs on the other hand, was looking more than a little skittish and tightened the grip around his gun. "Fuckin' Russians."

Kyra took the two shivs from her belt and started walking towards the group, a deadly glint in her eye. She knew each of the six guards, and had a personal hatred for all of them. Two years of fighting off their advances. Two years of crude comments and physical abuse... Two years too long.

"Try six on one," she said, loud enough for both Riddick and the guards to hear her. "I think I like those odds better."

One of the guards took a few steps forward and raised his gauge, but before he could get a shot off, Kyra had thrown one of the shivs and buried it in his wrist. The sound of his scream cut through the air and Kyra broke into a run.

Behind the goggles, Riddick's eyes had grown wide in amazement. This was his Jack?

The other guards scrambled for their gauges, but Kyra reached them first. Uncoiling the chain, she lassoed the edge of Toombs' ship, anchoring it on one of the talon shaped wings. She bolted to the right, catching all six of the guards around the torso and knocking them off their feet. One of the guards got off a shot as he fell and she felt the sharp sting of a bullet grazing her shoulder. Grabbing the gauge off the nearest guard, she fired six shots.

Each one found its target.

An unsteady silence followed. Kyra didn't seem to notice. She walked forward, the limp once again showing through and tugged her shiv loose from the dead guard's wrist, not bothering to clean off the blood before shoving it back in her belt. Then she paused, staring blankly down at the six guards.

Riddick and Toombs opened the hatch of the ship and climbed inside. Riddick stopped in the open doorway and looked over towards Kyra. She still hadn't moved.

"Kyra," he said. No response.

He exhaled slowly. "Jack."

This time her head turned slowly towards him, her expression a swirling mix of surprise, anger and sweet release.

"Time to go, Jack."

She made her way up to the hatch and Riddick disappeared inside.

"Well heya', Sweets!" Toombs gave a toothy grin as she climbed aboard. "Miss me?"

Kyra looked at him blankly for a moment, then smirked, hauled back, and slugged him in the face.

"Son of a bitch!" Toombs spat, his voice muffled by the hands that were now covering his mouth. He pulled one away, revealing a stream of blood flowing from his nose. He turned towards Riddick. "She hit me!"

"Looks that way," he replied.

Toombs, sensing the shift of power, tensed.

After he closed the hatch, Riddick moved towards the console, ignoring Toombs when the merc leveled a gun in his general direction. "You don't need the gauge, Toombs."

"So we're square now?" Toombs asked, relaxing slightly and lowering his gun.

"Nope," Riddick bent down and picked up the gauge he'd left when he'd entered the prison. Taking aim, he fired at Toombs, the bullet passing through his side in the same place he'd shot Riddick when they met on UV.

"AARRGGHHH," he doubled over, clutching his side. "Son of a _bitch_!"

Riddick smiled and settled into the pilot's chair.

"Now we're square."


	10. Never Had a Doubt

Disclaimer: Don't own TCOR – but Merrick, Marcus, Jonesy and the guards are products of my own imagination so if you want to borrow them, lemme know first.

Summary: Six years can be a long time. A long time away from him. A long time for something to go wrong. AU that picks up right after Dark Fury - some TCOR spoilers.

Pairings: R/J

Warnings: Language, mild violence…

Authors Notes: Good grief – one year, five months and five days later, this story was finally brought to an end. I'd like to both apologize to and thank my loyal readers who've been here since the start… and I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review the story! As for this conclusion – I still have a few ideas as to where I would have liked this story to go (and there's a good chance I'll be writing a sequel someday soon), but after a year and a half, it was begging to be given an ending… so here it is. The conclusion to Just Like You…

**Chapter Ten:** Never Had a Doubt

_Drip…_

Riddick looked past the sleeping figure of Toombs and towards Jack. She fidgeted restlessly in the co-pilots seat, unable to decide upon a satisfactory position.

Funny to think how much she'd changed. When he left her, she was just a kid. Awkward and lanky, a tomboy through and through.

And now…

She'd become as deadly as she had beautiful.

_Drip…_

He continued sifting through the contents of the locker, looking for the food packs he'd come across when he first took inventory of the ship on UV.

Something was nagging at him. He'd kept the promise he made to himself. He'd gotten her off that rock.

Now what? He had planned to drop her back with Imam, or somewhere else she might be safe. But he'd also been picturing a 13 year old Jack. A Jack that didn't exist anymore.

He looked towards her again. She was still awake, staring at the starry expanse that stretched out before them.

_Drip…_

The sound finally registered. The cut on Jack's arm was gradually dripping blood onto the floor.

He abandoned the search for food and looked for the gauze that they used to tape up Toombs earlier. Finding it, he walked towards her and knelt at her side. She didn't respond as he started wrapping the wound, just continued to stare out the window.

"Why did you leave, Riddick?"

He paused mid-wrap and looked up.

"Leave?"

"Yeah, leave. Go, run, depart, disappear… why'd you leave?"

"You needed a chance at a normal life, Jack. I couldn't give that to you, Imam could."

She snorted. "I've never led a normal life, Riddick. Even before the crash."

Unable to find the right words, Riddick stayed silent, choosing instead to focus intently on her bandage.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked, her voice breaking through the dead air between them.

"That," chimed Toombs, "is a damn good question."

They turned to see Toombs drag himself into a sitting position, attempting a stretch before the pain in his side stopped him short.

"Great," she said, her tone morose. "It's still alive."

"Who you callin' an 'it'?" he mumbled, staggering to his feet. "What happened? And where the hell are we?"

Riddick tied off the bandage and stood up. "You passed out a minute or so after I shot you. As for where we are now, we're about an hour closer to our destination and that's all you need to know."

"Hey now," he said, defensive. "I'm in this just as much as you are. I killed two guards! I'm a wanted man!"

"Not by us," she said, giving a slight tug on her bandage and raising an eyebrow. "Now if you don't shut up, I'll be kicking your ass out of the shuttle the second we hit atmo …. If not before."

Riddick grabbed Toombs roughly by the shoulder and threw him back into the chair, prepping the cryo-link.

"But Kyra – " Toombs started.

"The name's Jack," she corrected.

The corners of Riddick's mouth turned upwards into a faint smile.

As the fog of cryo-sleep began to weigh on his mind, Toombs could only manage a confused look before slipping into unconsciousness.

"So where are we headed?" she asked again.

"Nowhere in particular."

He settled back into the pilots chair and began programming a new set of course directions into the computer. He glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eye. She was staring out the window again.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. Her expression grew distant as she softly added, "… _and I never had a doubt…_"

He'd never asked for her loyalty. She'd given it to him without question.

He'd spent the last six years betraying that trust.

Now it was time to make up for it.

_Fin_


End file.
